Clock-case.



W. E. 'MOGRAW- CLOCK CASE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.20,19Q8.

Patented June 8, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. E. MOGRAW.

CLOGK CASE. APPLICATION FILED APR.20,1903.

Pafuented June 8, 1909.

8 BHEETSSHBET 2.

W. E. MOGRAW. CLOCK CASE. AP'PLIOATION FILED APR.20,1908.

Pa-tented June 8', 1909.

a SHEETS-SHEET a.

UNITED TATS PATENT WALTER E. MGGRAW, OF EVERETT, MASSACHUSETTS.

CLOCK-CASE.

Application filed April 20, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1909.

Serial No. 428,003.

Clock cases showing embodiments of my Belt known that I V'TALTER E.MoGRAw, invention are illustrated in the drawings, in a citizen of theUnited States, residing in l which:

Everett, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Clock- Cases, of whichthe following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in the construction and means forthe ornamentation of cases for clocks, and to methods of exhibitingornamental designs in clock cases.

()ne of the common types of cases used for clocks is open at the base,the case being usually made of marble, alabaster, glass, etc, and in thecase of the use of transparent material, the parts of the clock movementare given a very high surface finish, because exposed to view, thusadding materially to the first cost of the movement, and moreovermovements in such cases often become unsightly from oxidation of themetal parts and accumulations of dust that sift in under the clock,while the accuracy in time keeping of movements so exposed to dust isimpaired.

The object of this invention is to protect the delicate time movementfrom dust, and at the same time present an attractive an even ornamentalcase to the observer. With this end in view, I put the movement within adust tight metal shell and support the said shell in a transparent glasscase, which I ornament with attractive designs etched over the glasssurface, and, as a further unique feature, I highly polish the metalshell so the design on the glass is reflected through the transparentcase, and in this manner or method produce a semblance of the designborne by the glass case, that renders the plain and otherwise obtrusivemetal shell, a well blended feature of the general artistic make up ofthe clock case.

The invention consists in a clock case made of transparent materialornamented with de signs produced on the surface thereof, a dust tightmetal shell polished to a mirror like surface carrying the clockmovement supported in the clock case, so the polished surface of theshell containing the movement is opposed to the glass surface bearingthe design, and in the method of impressing reflected designs developedin the parts of the clock case to be more particularly pomted out.

Figure 1, is a front elevation of a clock case. Fig. 2, is a sideelevation of the clock case. Fig. 3, is a similar side elevation of theclock case broken to show the inclosed reflecting shell. Fig. l,is afront elevation of a Gothic case containing a cylindrical reflectingshell. Fig. 5, is a sketch showing a fluted shell. Fig. 6, is a sketchshowing a corrugated shell.

In the form of the invention illustrated by Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the frontwall a and rear wall t of theglass clock case are of plain surface andarched at the top, the side walls 0 of the case are plain and merge intothe plain curved top (1, while the base is open. Upon the front wall a,the side walls 0, and the top (Z ornamental designs as e are produced inany convenient manner, as by an abrading wheel, etching, or the like. Acase such as so far described is not adapted to hold delicate, closerunning time movements, as extraneous matter will enter at the base ofthe clock case, and find lodgment on the oiled pivots of the movement.To meet this condition the movement is inclosed in the close fittedmetal shell f, which is mounted so as to rest in the front and rearWalls of the clock case, thus preventing all access of dust to themovement.

In a utilitarian sense the clock case might now be used, but the blank,plain metal shell that by plating the metal shell with metals capable ofexceptionally high polish, such as silver or gold, that a surface havingthe properties of a mirror may be produced and then made permanent by asuitable transparent gum lacquer. It is further found that if thereflecting surface so formed is arranged parallel to the surface of thedesign, that a virtual image as g, which is a reproduction of thedesign, will be transmitted by the metal shell through the glass case inaccordance with. the angle from which the same may be viewed, giving tothe blank shell the effect of bearing an engraved design, butsuiiiciently distinct to be distinguishable from the design on the glasssurface of the case. This intermingling of the elements of the actualdesign as e on the glass, with the virtual image 9 of the (lesi nreflected from the metal shell, enhances the artistic effect of theclock case when viewed by a suitable receptive, as a living retina, or aphotographically sensitized surface. if a surface of silver is used onthe metal shell, the reflection approaches in effect the originaldesign, while if a surface of gold is used on the metal shell, a moredeeply shaded effect is produced by the virtual image. in cases in whichthe surface of the relecting shell is not parallel to the surface of theglass case bearing the design, the virtuai image thereof reflected isdistorted or varied from the original design, such would occur in thearrangement shown in Fig. l, in w ich the Gothic glass case bearing thedesign supports the plain, polished cylindrical siell carrying themovement, because the surface of the circular metal shell f, diverges frin the inclined surfaces h of the glass case bearing the design thatmeet at the top of the close; case, in consequence of which varying extlife of the said surfaces will be transmitted in the same beam of light,so the portion of the design and its image viewed will differ, ordistortion or variation of the design as appears in the reflected imagefollow. If the shell is fluted as at i in Fig. 5, or corrugated as at inFig. 6, a blending of multiple distorted virtual images takes place,which are visible through the original design on the 'lass case. It mabe noted that as the obb n e server alters the direction 111 which theclock case is viewed, the design and its virtual image appear to travelon each other, or give an effect of relative motion, distortion of thesaid image of the design occurring, in accordance with the angularrelation of the surfaces of the glass case and the metal shell, and itwill be found that this method of displaying the ornamentation of theclock case serves to so attract ones vision, that the otherwise plain,dust proof case is lost in the changing artistic design observed.

Having described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by LettersPatent of the United States:

A clock comprising a transparent outer casing having front rear and sidewalls, a closed top and an open bottom, said front and rear wallsprovided with alining openings, a metallic containing shell mounted insaid openings, a design formed on. the exterior of the outer casing, theouter faces of said shell lying substantially parallel With the casingexterior and having a highly polished surface reflecting the design onsaid outer casing.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to the specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

VIALTER E. h/lCGRAlV.

Vitnesses:

WALTER A. JONES, BEATRICE G. MooRHoUsE.

